Daddy's Little Boy
by Second Hokage
Summary: Minato survived the Kyuubi's attack on the village. Sadly, Kushina didn't. Now Minato is a single father and the whole village wants his son's life for something that saved them. A bad way to start the life of a parent. NaruXSaku, MinaXOC...maybe
1. Prelude: Wish it went better

**Prelude  
**

He stood over the crib of his son. A faint smile touched his lips as he looked down at his son. _Naruto..._ He looked just like him, from his blonde hair to his bright blue eyes. The events after his birth felt unreal, like a dream. He heard the door behind him open.

"Minato-sensei, all the members of the council are here. They are demanding you see them." Kakashi reported.

"Fine." Minato turned around. His old student had seen better days. Kakashi's clothes were covered in blood and torn, plus his other student, Rin, was also part of the casualties. "Kakashi, please watch over my son. I am afraid fear will make some people irrational."

Kakashi nodded. "Rin died protecting him, I'll do the same."

Minato sighed as he grasped the handle of the door. He prepared himself for anything, at least he thought so. Taking a deep breath, he turned the handle and went in.

XXX

The shouting and the demands immediatly hit him as soon as he entered. He ignored most of it, most of the shouting were demands on his son's life. He stood in front of the door leading to his office where Naruto was, the look on his face dared anyone to try to get by. "Silence!" He ordered, authority rang strong in his voice.

As fast of it started, the shouting ceased. Many of the council members were still ready to argue their case. Minato could see most of them were stand-in's. Meaning that the regular members were either dead, going to be, or injured. "I don't know why you all are here. If you here to try to tell me my son is the Kyuubi then get out!" He shouted, looking at each member in turn. _That is probably the case, revenge is something that can change people. _He thought, seeing no one move.

"This is outragous!" Uchiha Fugaku said as he stood up.

Minato crossed his arms. "Oh? How so?" He asked.

Fugaku pointed at the door behind him. "We should just kill it instead of sitting here!"

"You can try, but I wouldn't advise it." Minato challenged.

Fugaku's eyes changed to the sharingan, making him look menacing. "You would protect that demon?"

Minato shook his head. "No, I would protect my son."

"You are a fool. That thing is the Kyuubi. And by the honor of my fallen shinobi, I will avenge them!" He took a step closer.

"As I said, he is not the Kyuubi. Do not blame the jailer for the crimes of the prisoner." As he talked he slid his right foot slightly forward, raised both hands. His taijutsu was that of the Namikaze clan. Matching the Hyuga clan in grace, if not in devastating power. "But the jailer is busy holding the Kyuubi, so you all will just have to settle with me."

All the members looked worried. Though they wanted the life of the Kyuubi brat. They did not want to fight their Hokage just for that. Some did, but they were the minority.

"Where was that resolve early?" Minato mocked. "You were so eager to kill a defenceless child, scared now that you have to work for it?" Fugaku and the head of the Inuzuka clan, Inuzuka Tsume, glared at him. Or in Tsume's case, growled.

The Inuzuka clan loyalty to their Hokage outmatched their loyalty for their fallen comrades and family.

Minato stood up straight. "If none of you are willing to fight me to get to my son, then get out of my sight!" He didn't wait for a reaction, he went back into his office.

XXX

Minato let out a breath of relief as soon as he closed the door. "Seeing you're not dead, it must have gone good." Kakashi commented.

Minato grinned. "Well, I wish it could have gone better."


	2. Welcome home

**Thanks to all who reviewed.**

**Chapter 1**

Minato carried his son home instead of using the hiraishin no jutsu. The streets were quiet, still, he was cautious. "You would have never known there was an attack if there wasn't that big hole in the wall." He muttered. Naruto looked at him with curious eyes. He chuckeld. "Yeah, I forgot you slept through most of tonight." He ran his hand through his hair. "Well...I'm your father." He said cheerfully.

Naruto just stared at him.

"Your mother?" His face fell. "Your mother is no longer with us..." He told him sadly. "Though I wish she was." _I was too slow...she shouldn't have died. _Those thoughts came back to him, the realization that his beloved wife and student were gone. "But don't were, at least I'm here." _Though...I almost wasn't._

XXX _**A few hours early...**_

A great quake shook the village and a violent roar filled the remaining defenders with fear. "The Kyuubi has breached the village!!" Someone shouted.

"Get the Hokage! We will hold i-" Whatever he was going to say was cut off by the fierce fire that engulfed the wall.

The Kyuubi stepped through the flames unscratched. **"Pathetc humans! Bring me you leader and watch while I kill him!" **It howled. Fireballs and chunks of earth pelted its side and head. The fox growled in annoyance. **"You think that will stop me? The great Kyuubi-sama?"** With one giant paw, it crushed the ones who were not fast enough. Which was most.

Kakashi charged his Chidori, his sharingan watching the fox carefully. "Rin! Go to the hospital! Protect Kushina and Minato-sensei's son!" He ordered.

Rin hesitated. "But what about you?" She asked. "Minato-sensei would never forgive you if you died." She was worried that this would be the last time she would see him.

"Don't worry about me, Minato-sensei wouldn't apperciate it if we let his wife and newborn son be killed." The chirping of a thousand birds blocked what she said. "Goodbye Rin." He whispered before charging at the fox, he was fully expecting to die.

"Kakashi!" Rin shouted after him, but knew that he could not hear. _Just come back safely. _She turned her back on him and took off at full speed toward the hospital.

XXX

Minato could feel the battle, his office was shaking. He gripped the edge of his desk hard enough to turn his knuckles white. "Damn it!" He knew with each shake, at least one shinobi was killed. "How can I stop the demon?" He thought aloud. "No mortal can harm it, so how can I do it?..." A seal on his desk flashed red, telling him that he or someone he cared about was in danger. "That's it!" He took out a scroll and began to write down notes. "I got to do this right...I only have one chance." _Please hold on, Kushina-chan, Rin, Kakashi. I just need a little more time. _"First I need to tell Kushina-chan." He made a hand sign and disappeared in a flash of yellow.

XXX

Rin threw open the doors to the delivery room. "Kushina-san, are you okay?"

Kushina was in a bed with a bundle cradled in her arms. She looked tired and her green eyes were dull. "Rin-chan...is it true? Is there no way to kill the Kyuubi?" She asked, sadness touched her voice.

Rin shook her head. "No, there is no way to stop it." Kushina's head fell. "But don't worry, Minato-sensei will figure out something!" She quickly said, but the strength behind her words was not there.

Kushina hugged the bundle, Rin could tell it was their son, Naruto. "He has."

"Huh?"

Kushina looked at her, tears fell from her eyes. "He's going to seal the Kyuubi into our son! He's going to sacrifice himself!"

"What?" A terrible tremor made her stumble. An explosion blew open the doors. Lights broke and the walls shook. Kushina held Naruto closer, protectively.

"Protect the hospital! Hokage-sama's wife is still in there!" They heard someone shout from outside.

Rin got to her feet. "Kushina-san...are you alright?"

Kushina coughed, spitting blood away from Naruto. "Rin-chan...take Naru-chan to his father..." Blood dripped from her chin.

Rin saw a pole from the a bed nearby pierce Kushina through the stomach. "Kushina-san!" She ran over to her, beginning a medical jutsu.

Kushina grabbed her hands before she was done. "No, there is not enough time! Take him to his father."

"But-"

"Now!" Kushina yelled.

"Hai." Rin took Naruto. "Goodbye Kushina-san." She bowed before jumping out the window. The other exit was gone.

Kushina smiled. "Goodbye Rin, my beloved Minato-kun. Maybe we will see each other again..."

XXX

Kakashi watched at the fox crushed the rest of the hospital. "RIN!" He cried out. He jumped on the fox's head. "You'll pay for that!" His arm became engulfed by his chidori. The power of it tore away the skin and blood mixed into it. "CHIDORI!" He plunged it deep into the fox's eye.

The Kyuubi howled in pain. **"Curse you!" **With a swipe of its paw, Kakashi was sent flying. The Kyuubi glanced around with its one eye. **"Where are you?" **He roared as it searched for Kakashi.

Kakashi hit a tree with a sickening thud. "Ow..." Fighting through the pain, he stuggled to stand. "Rin...Kushina-san. I'm sorry Minato-sensei, I might be leaving too." He knew he was passed his own chidori limit. _I have to try. _He grabbed his wrist and focused his chakra. Weak chirps erupted from his hand. "That's good enough."

Before he could charged the Kyuubi spotted him. **"There you are magget!"** It opened its mouth and unleashed a stream of fire.

Kakashi let his jutsu fade. "Damn." The range of it was too great for him to avoid it. Suddenly, he was atop the appartment building behind the fox. "

"Dying without a fight? I would have never expect you to go down like that Kakashi." He heard his sensei say.

"Minato-sensei!" Kakashi whirled around and bowed deeply. "I'm sorry! I couldn't protect your wife." A tear fell from both his eyes. _I couldn't protect Rin either._

"Get up Kakashi."

Kakashi rose. He looked at his sensei. Minato had tears falling from his eyes. "I know..." He had something in his arms. "I am also sorry, I couldn't save Rin. She and I were near the your area. I couldn't save you both, my jutsu wouldn't allow it. She told me to get you." He explained. "But I can stop the Kyuubi now, hold him for a bit will ya?" He handed him Naruto.

"What are you going to do?"

Minato bit his thumb and began to make hand sighs Kakashi knew. "Summoning Technique!" Smoke surrounded them.

"What have you summoned my for Minato?" They heard something asked below them.

Minato took back Naruto. "I'm going to seal the demon into my son with my life." He announced.

"What?!" They both yelled.

Minato shook his head. "No, I don't want to hear it. It must be done." He looked at Kakashi. "Watch over him."

Kakashi nodded, but said. "You can't!"

"I must-" Minato fell forward. Sarutobi caught him and Naruto.

"Sarutobi-sama!"

Sarutobi waved at him. "Oh, hi Kakashi."

"What are you doing?"

"I'm saving our Hokage. Though he wouldn't never have let me if I asked him. Take him." Kakashi took Minato and slung him over his shoulders. "Minato left his notes behind. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." He smiled. "Take care of him, don't forget to get Naruto." With surprising strength, Sarutobi shoved Kakashi off the Gamabunta."Just get me there." He turned toward the toad.

"Well Sarutobi-san, if I didn't know better, I would say you were scared."

"Nah, I just worried I might fall. We be in trouble if that happened."

XXX

Kakashi watched as Gamabunta leaped toward the fox demon. He shielded his eyes from the blinding light that followed. When he could see, he saw the fox was nowhere in sight. "Guess I better fetch him." He laid Minato down. "I know this isn't going to go well with some people."

XXX

Minato bumped into the front gate of his home. "Must have been thinking about it too much." He unlocked the gate and went in. "Well son, it might be too much for two people, but welcome home!"


	3. Beginnings

**Chapter 3**

At the beginning, you sometimes wonder how it ends. Occasionally, the beginning can hint or determine the ending. That is, if you have time to wonder how it will end. Minato was too busy with the present to worry about anything else.

"Let's see... Step one." Minato had a tiny book open, trying to learn the contains of it before his son could get any louder. The smell that emanated from his son was nauseating. "Hush son, I'm doing my best!" Minato pleaded with his son. The Hirashin no Jutsu wasn't as confusing as learning how to change a diaper. (Honestly, I can't remember how either.)

Naruto cried louder. The smell of his own waste was getting to him too.

Minato tried again. "I got it!" He exclaimed triumphantly. Sadly, the diaper was secured around his left hand. "What?! How'd that happen?" He flipped through the pages. "Right, I'm suppose to clean him first..." He looked at the white thing wrapped around the lower half of his son. "You lucky I love you..."

XXX

"There." Minato quickly incinerated the old diaper as soon as he was done. "Better?"

Naruto stared at him, no longer crying, then giggled.

Minato smiled happily. "Good. Too bad I can't say the same for me." He didn't dare look at his hands, nor think about what was on them. "I better clean myself up."

After a quick shower, Minato was sitting on the couch in the luxurious living room with Naruto cradled in his arms. The couches were quite soft, each a cream color. The curtains were drawn back to let in the light, making the wooden floor shine.

Minato looked outside, the garden was showing the signs of autumn. Already, everything was returning to the earth. Soon, winter would settle in. Dejected, he sighed heavily. "Maybe we can keep the garden alive. For Kushina?" He looked at his son, comfortably snoozing in his arms. The blanket that Naruto was wrapped in was made by his mother-in-law, Kushina's mother.

"Every child must have their own blanket." He remembered her saying as she worked on it. It was a plain orange and red blanket, nothing fancy, but was held dear to him. Reports of Whirlpool informed him that it was no longer there. Destroyed by the Kyubi.

"Kushina must be with her kinsmen now... " He yawned, tears welling up in his eyes. Apparently, babies like to wake up three times in one night. "It'll lessen as the years go by... I hope." He got up slowly, careful not to wake Naruto. "Guess I'll get some sleep." Smoke was still rising from where the Kyubi had been. "They don't need my help right now. I'll let them cool off before I take Naruto out."

XXX

Just as he closed the door to his son's room, a servant came up to him. Minato gestured him to be quiet. "What is it?" He asked in a hush tone.

"Minato-sama, there are visitors for you." He answered in the same quiet tone.

"Okay, I'll be there shortly. Please inform them."

"Hai." He bowed before leaving.

Minato ran his hand through his spiky blonde hair. "Who could that be?" _Just in case._ He made a shadow clone to keep watch before following his servant. _They can't know Naruto's secret already. It's only been a few hours._

XXX

"Idiot!" A fist followed the words, sending him flying back. He righten himself in mid-air and landed nimbly on his feet.

"Shh!" He held a finger to his lips. The hit made him blurry eyed. When his eyes came into focus, an angry assistant stood in his doorway. "My son is sleeping!" He whispered harshly.

She flushed, but didn't relax her angry stance. "Sorry."

Minato peered around her, Kakashi stood coolly behind her. "Kakashi, why is Karin here?" He asked.

Kakashi shrugged. "I must have been sleep waking. I thought this was the bookstore."

Karin brushed back her raven hair back behind her shoulders, annoyance flashed in her gray eyes. "Minato, how could you threaten the other clan heads?!" He voice was still quiet. "Do you want to make enemies with the most influential people in the village."

Minato looked at her coldly. "I don't care who they are. To me, they are nothing but scum." Last night, he had lost all confidence in the other clan heads. _They call my son a monster, but they are the true monsters. Naruto... had no choice in what was done... He should have had one, but I took it away. _He looked at the floor, ashamed. _A Jinchuriki, who am I to decide that for my son? _"They threatened my son." He looked her straight in the eye.

Karin hesitated, the extreme sadness in his eyes caught her off guard. "I-it doesn't matter what they did. Think of how difficult they can make your job!"

"My son's life matters more to me than what they can do to me. As long as it is me, I don't care. He... he's the only family I have left." _Why did it have to turn out this way? Naruto was suppose to be looked at like a hero! Instead, they want to kill the one person who saved them all..._ He got off the couch listening in case they woke Naruto.

"You really don't care?" Karin looked at him, disbelief plainly shown on her face. To her, he cared what others thoughts. He always put others before himself. _What they did must have shaken his trust in people._

Minato shook his head. "I still do... As long as I can help, I will. Sarutobi entrusted his village to me. I promised to protect everyone, ninja or citizen, with my life." He walked to the window, the garden suddenly seemed interesting. "I just don't want to defend my son's life from them." He murmured, just loud enough for them to hear.

Karin chuckled, going to his side. She laid a hand on his shoulder. "Then you're going to need my help." She winked.

"Probably mine too." Kakashi was on his other side. "No thinking of what will happen. You aren't very serious sensei."

Minato grinned at them, grateful. He wasn't going to go through this alone. "Thanks. I was actually thought I was going solo."

"Baka, you can't do anything without us." Karin squeezed his shoulder. "I'll go see if they other heads have cooled down." She held up a finger. "Remember, this the only day off you'll get for a long time. There is going to be a lot, I mean tons, of paperwork waiting for you. This village still needs a leader."

"You really know how to kill the moment, Karin-san." Kakashi stepped back before she whacked him. "Good luck sensei. I've seen an bit of what's she talking about, you'll need it." With that, he vanished in a swirl of wind.

Minato's shoulder sagged. "Great..." _And I thought this would be a good beginning..._

"Don't worry, we'll help out occasionally." Karin smiled before leaving.

Minato felt mood darken more. "They'll help carry the paperwork in." He muttered.

XXX

Sure enough, a mountain of paper was neatly stacked on his desk. Sighing, Minato putting Naruto in the crib he brought before getting started. After three consecutive hours of writing and stamping, he hand cramped up. "Son, when you become Hokage. I hope you can solve this problem." He said, massaging his hand.

Naruto cooed at him. Waving his tiny arms around.

Minato grinned. "Yeah, you'll probably figure a way out of this."

The door opened and Karin strolled in. "I see you finished yesterday mornings work."

His eyes widen. "Wha-? Y-yesterday morning's?!" He thought this was all from yesterday, the whole day.

She nodded. "Yup, that's all from yesterday morning. I tried to patch up the hurt feelings, but I failed. Good thing you friend decided to 'accidentally' misplace his work." She ushered in three more people who were straining to carry in the stacks of paper they each carried. "I told you, you shouldn't have gotten on their bad sides."

Naruto giggled sympathetically, that's what it sounded like to him.

Karin peeked in the crib. "Oh, is this your son?"

"Yeah, that's Naruto." Minato replied as the paper blocked the view of everything. "Time to get to work! I'll finish half of this or I'll do one thousand push-ups!" He said in a very Guy-ish way. "Man, am I going to be sore."

"He looks just like you!" Karin's words were muffled through the paper. "And he's so cute!"

Minato cracked his knuckles. "So this is my new life as a parent."


	4. Park

**From this point onward, I will take my time writing. I read some of the chapters that I rushed through, they aren't very good. So there will be some time before each chapter. No point in taking a cake out of the oven before it's done.**

**Chapter 4**

_**Four years later...**_

Minato carried his five year old son on his shoulders as they walked leisurely. Naruto was observing everything with keen interest and excitement. This was one of their rare strolls to through the village. So far, no one except those part of the council knew what was sealed in Naruto. _Lucky they respect my authority. _He thought dully, not liking that it was an order instead of them wanting to do it. Fukgaku's demand on his son's life unsettled him some. _What is his clan planning?..._

"Dad, that's your face!" Naruto's awed voice broke his thoughts.

_The Uchiha can wait, I have more important people to worry about. _He looked at where Naruto was pointing, the Hokage momument. His face was carved next to his predecessors. "Yup, that's me. Not bad, eh?"

"I think your face looks chubby." Naruto commented.

Minato chuckled. "I guess it does." Some people that walked by them looked at Naruto hatefully. Though the were subtle, he didn't miss disdain that flashed across their face. _I guess it's too much to ask that everyone didn't know. _

"Where are we going today dad?" Naruto asked, completely oblivious to the looks of contempt he was drawing. He was just happy that he was spending time with his father. Being Hokage didn't permit him to be home a lot.

"Hm..." Minato mused about it a while. "How about the park? We haven't been there in a while."

"Yeah, I want to see the fishes!"

XXX

The park was filled with lush grass, only a few trees in the grassy field. This was the ideal place parents picked to bring their children. Easy to keep an eye on them and they could talk to their friends that brought their own children.

"Okay son, don't wonder too far." Minato told him as he sat on a bench. He was in his casual clothes instead of his Hokage's robes. "I'll be right here."

"Huh? Don't you want to play too?" Naruto asked, trying to hide disappointment he felt.

Minato's expression soften, he could read his son easily. "I'm sorry son, I had to stay late last night. I'm kind of tired..."

Naruto hung his head. "Okay, I'll go feed the fishes then." He took off toward the pond on the other side of the hill.

XXX

Minato groaned when Naruto was out of sight. "I really hate my job sometimes..." He muttered. He only got to spend a little time with Naruto, less than he would have liked. When he did get to, he was too tired to do anything except talk. "There has to be a solution to this."

"Oh, what has our Hokage-sama looking so down?" Karin's voice caught his attention.

He looked up, seeing her dressed like always. A white blouse and short pants. "Hello, Karin." He greeted with less warmth than what he intended.

"Geez, you really need to get some sleep. You sound like the walking dead." She sat by him. "So what's up? Naru-chan with you?"

Minato nodded. "He went to the pond."

"You're not with him why?" She asked. "Usually you two are inseparable."

He sighed wearily. "I'm just really tired. The paper work is really starting to pile up. I just can't keep up. And raising Naruto on top of that I..." He shook his head, feeling overwhelmed.

"You've reached your limit." She stated with understanding. She looked up at the children playing, a hint of regret in her gray eyes. "Eventually we reach the point where we don't know what to do... but that's the point where you learn what you can really do." She smiled at him. "Only under pressure does our true self present itself." She patted him on the back. "Don't worry, you'll figure it out. If you gave up when things got tough, this village would have been destroyed long ago by the Kyubi."

"Thanks... that help some." Minato felt a bit lighter. Being a single parent was no easy task, even for the famed Konoha's Yellow Flash.

"No problem!" She stood up. "Come early tomorrow, the work piles up with there day offs of yours." She continued on the path leading toward the more crowded parts of the village.

"You still know how to kill the moment." He grinned, he words had cheered him up. He will find a way to balance his work and personal life. He had to be both parents, for Naruto's sake, he had to be more involved in his life. "I'll go see if he has enough bread." He stopped. "Wait, I need to get some bread first."

XXX

Naruto threw a pebble, it skipped five times before sinking into the depths of the pond. He ran out of bread to feed the fish with, so the fish went back to the deeper parts of the pond. "I'm not lonely." He murmured to himself. "Dad has a job to do, I understand that..." His words didn't sound convincing. Minato returned only when he was asleep, though there were the times he trained him. Those times were occasional, the rest of the time, Kakashi nii-san trained him. "He has the entire to village to watch over, including me..." _**Does that mean those people are more important to him than you?** _A dark voice whispered. "No, he loves me... but he has to protect them too. That's what it means to be Hokage." He said proudly. _**If he loves you, why are you alone most of the time?**_

Naruto couldn't form a response. As he thought about what the voice said, he hear someone was sobbing behind him. "Hm...?" He thought he was alone, not many of the other children wondered here. They preferred to stay where the playground was, playing with friends. _Who's crying?_

He followed the noise until he was standing in front of a big, thick tree. The sobbing was coming from behind it. He peeked around the tree, a pink hair girl had her head resting on her knees. Her little body shook from her sobs.

"Are you okay?"

"AH!" She screamed as she jumped.

Her scream scared him, he stumbled backwards and tripped over a tree root. "Ow..." His head landed on the root.

"W-who are you?" She asked, wiping away her tears.

He looked at her. Her bangs hung loosely over her face, almost like a curtain. "...Oh, I'm Namikaze Naruto. What's yours?" He answered, muting his family name because his dad said it would cause people to treat him different. _"If they really want to be your friend, don't actually mention you are my son. A name can make the whole difference on how people treat you."_

"H-Haruno Sakura." She stuttered a bit, still trying to control her sobs.

He got up and dusted himself off. "I'm sorry I scared you." He apologized sheepishly. "I just heard someone crying and came to see what was wrong."He peeredat her face, getting really close. "Are you alright? You sure were crying."

His concern expression and his close proximity made her blush. "I-I'm fine." She said shyly.

"You sure? I know we just met, but I'm here if you need someone to talk to." He offered.

She looked down at the ground, fresh tears welling up.

Inside, he was panicking. _Oh crap, she's crying again! What did I do?_ "Hey, none of that." He wiped her tears away with his thumbs. Just like his dad used to do when he was younger when he hurt himself.

Him doing that, something burst inside her. All the jibes at the size of her forehead, no one showed her such kindness, except for her mom. She let out all the tears and emotion.

He was surprised when she hugged him, judging by the wetness he felt on his chest, she was crying. _What do I do?_ When nothing came to mind, he did what his dad did. He rubbed her back, whispering comforting words. "There, there, it's okay."

XXX

After a few minutes, they were sitting under the tree with their backs against it. At least he was, she was leaning against his chest, having fallen asleep after crying herself out. "I wish dad was here, he'd know what to do." Naruto wistfully glanced around the tree, hoping to see his dad. _He must have fallen asleep._

Gradually, she began to stir.

"You okay now?" He asked, brushing her bangs aside without meaning to.

She stared at him, slowly realization showed in her face. She immediately blushed, having realized that he was holding her close. "Y-yes." She replied softly.

He let out a sigh of relief. "Good, you had me worry there." He chuckled. "I thought I upset you. My dad said that's one thing you never do to a girl."

She blushed deeper, feeling his hot breath on her face. Despite him being the same age as her, he was well tone, and she was sitting on his lap with his arms around her.

"You're all red! Do you have a fever!" He felt her forehead. "Is that why you were crying?"

She looked away, he reminded her why she had ran to this part of the park. "No..."

"Then what?"

"They were making fun of me again..." She sobbed quietly.

Naruto panicked again. "No, please don't cry." He wiped the tears that fell. "Why would they do that?" He asked, trying to keep her talking.

"Forehead." She mumbled.

"Huh?"

"They were making fun of my forehead!" She shouted, annoyed that it wasn't obvious to him. "It's too big."

"Really?" He looked at her forehead. "I don't think so."

"You're just saying that."

He shook his head. "No, I don't really see the difference between yours and mine."

"Really?"

He smiled warmly at her. "Yup. Besides, if they want to make comments about you, then let them. As long as you are satisfied with yourself, then what does their remarks matter?" He brushed back her bangs again. "You should at least tie you hair back or something. It looks better that way."

She stared at him, not believing him. None of the children her age have never been this kind. She felt her heart skipped a beat when he smiled and again when he said that she looked better with her hair tied back. "Thanks..."

"Doen't mention it. Can you stand now? My legs are asleep."

"Sorry."

"Ah, that's better. That root was poking me in places I rather not say." He looked at her. "Sakura was it?" She nodded. "Well, I hope you can convince those people how great you are."

"Naruto!" Someone called out.

"Huh?" He glanced around the tree, there was his dad walking around calling his name. "Sorry, but I have to go, my dad is looking for me. See ya!" He called over his shoulder as he ran toward his dad.

Sakura watched him leap on his dad. _That's he dad? The Hokage?_ She flushed bright red. She was embarrassed because she must have made a fool of herself in front of the Hokage's son. _This is embarrassing!_

XXX

"Ah, there you are son." Minato said as he was tackled to the ground. "Have a good time?"

Naruto nodded vigorously. "Yup, I met this girl and we talked and stuff."

Minato raised an eyebrow. "Did you make her cry? Your shirt is all wet."

Naruto stood up. "No, she was crying when I met her. I just comforted her like you use to do to me when I was younger." He explained.

"Is that so?" He looked over to where Naruto came from. A pink hair girl peeked at them from behind the tree. _So he has a crush on him now? Wow, you work fast son._ "What was she upset about?"

Naruto clenched his hands into a fist. "Some of the other kids were making fun of her." He growled. Then he relaxed. "And her face was all red and hot. I think she has a fever."

"A fever huh?" Minato smiled. _You are still young Naruto, but you'll understand why she was red when you're older._ "Come on, I think there's enough time to get some training in."

Naruto's eyes went big. "You're going to help me train?!"

Minato nodded, grinning at his son's reaction. He was kind of sad that he was shocked. "Of course, unless you want Kakashi to come over..."

"No, that's okay. Come on then!" Naruto tugged at his arm.

_I wonder how surprise__d he will be when I'm home more often? The academy is going to be accepting applications soon._

**And that's how Naruto and Sakura meet! Next chapter: Academy.**


	5. Academy

**Thanks to all who reviewed, I hope I can keep it up. Sorry if the last chapter wasn't long, or original.**

**Chapter 5**

Minato and Naruto stood facing each other in one of the open fields of the Namikaze estate. Much abuse showed, there were craters in the ground, scorch marks, and barren parts strewn all over. This was the only field they used for jutsu training.

"This is an advance jutsu I am going to show you." Minato explained. Naruto could barely hold his excitement, his whole body shook with anticipation. "Kakashi has told me that your chakra control is not very good for jutsu that require a small amount of chakra. So instead of the regular clone jutsu, I'm going to teach you a more powerful version of it."

Naruto watched him intently, he had his complete attention.

"Watch carefully." Minato formed a hand sign. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Smoke enveloped them, too thick to see anything.

Naruto coughed, then saw what had happened. Many copies of his dad stood around them. He touched one, sure enough, it was solid. "Wow!" He exclaimed in awe. "You mean I can make real copies of myself?"

The real Minato nodded before undoing the jutsu. "Yup." His expression grew solemn, serious. "There is one thing though; this jutsu is forbidden. The reason is that it requires you to split your chakra evenly among the clones you create."

Naruto paled a bit. He understood what this meant, having been lectured on chakra by Kakashi. "You mean this jutsu could kill me?"

Minato nodded gravely. "Jutsu should never be taken lightly. Misusing them could result in fatal consequences."He grinned, his face softening. "But don't worry. I know you are responsible, I trust you not to show off."

Naruto was relieved that his dad knew he was ready for this jutsu. He trusted his judgment, knowing you limits was part of being a shinobi. _He didn't have to scare me though! Seriously, I thought he meant I would die if I ever tried that jutsu._ "I don't really like being the center of attention, so I won't use this jutsu useless it is in self defense." He promised.

"Good." He showed him the hand signs and explained how to direct his chakra. "Got that?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah! Here I go!" He ran through the hand signs. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

When the smoke cleared, Minato's jaw literally fell to the ground. There were many more than what he made. _Is this the power of the Kyubi? No, its chakra is sealed. Not entirely, but enough._ He regained his composure before Naruto noticed.

"How was that?" All of them asked.

"That was great! Congratulations, you successfully mastered this jutsu." He ruffled his son's hair. _In one try... How great will you be, my son?_ "Okay, undo the jutsu. We both have to go to bed early. The opening ceremony at the academy is tomorrow."

Naruto's eyes went wide. "You mean I'm going to the ninja academy?!"

"Of course you are and we both need to be rested up." Minato started walking back the the mansion. Naruto just behind him, too jittery to think about sleep. "Maybe we'll work on some more jutsu after you get back."

Naruto was in bliss. Not only was he going to the academy his dad went to, he was going to be spending more time with him. "You sure?" He asked, a bit dubious.

Minato grinned at him over his shoulder. "I promise and you know I never go back on my promises."

"Can Hinata-chan come too?" Naruto asked, wanting to include his best friend.

"Sure, if she wants."

XXX

Naruto twisted and turned in his bed. His nervousness kept him from going to sleep. He had never been around other children his age, except for Hinata. Though, she was shy and didn't go with him to the park, besides her no one his age he had talked to. Not even when he went to the park, he preferred to hang out with his father. That time with Sakura was about the most he ever talked to another kid his age beside Hinata. _I wonder if she will be attending too? Maybe we can be friends?_

With a sigh, he climbed out of his bed. He walked to his window and gently opened them. The rose garden was stretched out before him. Being on the second floor gave him a great view of it. The blood colored blooms comforted him some. _Mom... why did you leave? _He asked as if she could hear him.

He loved his dad, but seeing the other children with their moms... He didn't know why he felt like this. So lonely, his dad was going to be spending more time with him, but still. He wouldn't be able to do that for long, the job of Hokage was a demanding one.

He sat on the window sill, staring out at the roses. The perfume that came off them was pleasant. He knew that his mother toiled in the garden, working hard to make it this beautiful. He noticed his dad would get sad when he was there. "He must miss her too..."

After several moments, he climbed back into his bed. Leaving his window open, the sweet smell put him to sleep.

XXX

Minato was strolling through the garden. He didn't notice his son sitting on the window sill and vice versa. He stopped in front of the single bench in the whole garden. He remembered that his first kiss with Kushina was here. "Kushina-chan... how I miss you..." He continued onward, not looking back.

The full moon provided plenty of light so he had no trouble getting back to his room. He laid in his bed, the speech for tomorrow already formed in his head. "You would be so proud of our son, Kushina."

XXX

The next morning, they headed off to the academy. "So today's the day." Minato had his speech in his head.

Naruto nodded, feeling suddenly nervous. _What if the other kids don't like me?_ He thought, anxious.

Noticing the worried expression on his son's face, Minato placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry so much. If it happens, it happens. Just be yourself." He squeezed his shoulder.

"Right... just be myself." Naruto steeled his nerves as the entered the academy grounds.

XXX

After his speech, Minato lead his son to his class. "This will be your class. Be sure to do your best."

"I will dad." Naruto and his dad was the only on there, except for a kid that was napping.

"I'm sure you will. I have to get back now. This is the time when the paper work piles up." He turned around and headed for the door. "See you when you get home." He said before he was gone.

"Bye dad!" Naruto went to the middle row, taking a seat near the window. "This is so cool! Training to be a ninja." Naruto daydreamed until the warning bell rang and the other students came pouring in. He was too busy daydreaming that he didn't notice a certain pink hair girl take the seat next to him.

The final bell brought him out of his daydream. He looked around the room, seeing who his classmates were. A raven hair boy sat near the front, a couple of girls were arguing about who would sit near him. The napping boy propped himself up with his arms. The chubby boy next to him was munching on chips. A puppy barking atop another boy's head drew his attention to him, but not more than a second. A boy wearing sunglasses stared coolly toward the front.

"So there are my classmates..." He muttered. To say the least, he was disappointed. He thought they would be cool and collected like nii-san. _They're just like the kids at the park._ "I guess I can't complain, shinobi are human too."

Then he noticed Hinata, two seats over from his. Seating next to... "Sakura-chan?"

She looked at him, smiling shyly. "Oh, hello Naruto-kun."

"Hey, didn't think you be here." He grinned. _Though I was hoping. _He looked around her. "Hi Hinata-chan!" He greeted his best friend.

Her face flushed and she pressed her index fingers together. "H-hi N-Naruto-kun." She stuttered.

At that moment, their sensei walked into the room. He had a scar across his nose but looked kind. The room went silent. "Okay, quiet down." He stood in front of the whole class. "I am Iruka-sensei, I will do my best to past on the knowledge that will help you in the future." He took out a clipboard. "Now, I want all of you to introduce yourselves and tell us a bit about yourself, your dreams for the future and such. First up..." He went according to rows. "Next."

The raven hair boy stood up. "Uchiha Sasuke." He said nonchalantly. "My dreams for the future are none of your business." He sat back down. The girls cooed about how cool he was, even Sakura. That ticked him off for some reason.

_Uchiha..._ Naruto heard about him. His whole clan was massacred a few weeks before. Everyone except for his brother, Itachi, the murderer himself. _I can see why he is so detached._

"Uh...next."

The blonde girl next to him stood up. "I'm Yamanaka Ino!" She exclaimed loudly. "My dreams for the future is to be a great kunochi and win Sasuke's affections!"

Iruka nodded. "Good... you there! The one napping!" He threw an eraser at the kid with his head down. "Name and dreams."

"Troublesome." He mumbled before starting. "Nara Shikamaru. My dream for the future to live an average life, meet a nice woman that's not too ugly or beautiful, have two childred, a boy and a girl. Then retire when my son becomes a shinobi and my daughter marries. Spend the rest of my days playing shoji then past away in my sleep."

_He's got his whole life mapped out?..._ Naruto didn't pay much attention to the others. He heard some names: Akimichi Choji, Inuzuka Kiba, and Aburame Shino. He tuned in when it was Hinata's turn. "I-I'm Hyuga Hinata. My dream for the future is to be a worthy heir to the Hyuga clan and..." She trailed off, blushing as her gaze shifted to Naruto.

"Good, good, next."

Sakura stood up. "I am Haruno Sakura. My dream for the future is to win the respect of a certain someone and never lose to Ino." She said, glancing at Naruto and Sasuke. Conflicted emotion clashing inside her as she thought about both of them.

"You now."

Naruto stood up, trying not to look nervous or too excited. Kakashi nii-san told him that while emotion is okay to be shown, appearing calm can help in many ways. "I am Namikaze Naruto. My only dream is to become an even greater Hokage than my father." He said calmly and with confidence. "And well, to a lesser extent, revive my clan, but that's that last thing on my list." He muttered the last sentence, only Sakura and Hinata heard him.

Whispers began when they heard his family name.

"Namikaze? Isn't that the Hokage's name?"

"He's the son of the Yondaime!?"

"He's so cool!" One girl squealed with other girls showing their agreement.

"He's hot!"

"Do you think he has a girlfriend?"

Naruto was caught off guard with those last three comments. Then he realized why Kakashi had given he that advice. _Nii-san... I'm swear to beat you! _Having most of the girls swooning over him like the Uchina was not what he wanted. _I should have listen to you dou-san! I should have been myself! _He sat back down, but the damage had already been done. Already he was the infatuation of the female population.

The Uchiha looked at him, observing him. _Namikaze..._ He didn't look strong. Sasuke had heard many stories of the Yondaime. Just because his son looked like him, didn't mean he was like him.

"Now that we are done." Iruka looked at the clock, it was almost noon. "It's almost time for lunch break... Well I'll explain what we will be doing." He wrote on the blackboard. "In the morning, we'll focus on the the theories of chakra, jutsu, study history, mathematics, and some basic jutsu. In the afternoon, we will go to the field. Working on our physical skills."

The bell rang, signaling for lunch.

"Alright, be sure to be on time."

XXX

Naruto and Sasuke were immediately approached by their so-called fangirls. Sasuke ignored them completely, walking by them and out of the room. Muttering, "Annoying girls."

Naruto, on the other hand, wasn't that blunt. With Sasuke gone, every girl was around him. "Can we eat lunch with you?" They asked.

"Uh..." Naruto had planned to spend lunch with his best friend. "Well, you see..."

"He's got plans!" Sakura grabbed his hand and lead him out of the crowd, drawing glares aimed at her.

He shot her a grateful look. "Thanks." He mouthed.

She smiled, "No prob." She mouthed back.

XXX

On top of the academy roof, they hid. "That was disturbing." Naruto finally said, they had to lose them. _No wonder dad said not to mention the family name._

Sakura shrugged. "You should have keep your mouth shut about who you were." She said, pulling out a bento.

He was slightly surprised by her _change_ in attitude. He didn't know her well and it had been a few weeks since they met, but she came off to him as the shy silent type.

She noticed him staring at her. "What?" She asked, blushing faintly.

"Oh, nothing. It's just... you were so quiet last time." He looked at her again. She had her hair tied back with a red ribbon. Besides her change in attitude, those were the only differences. "Did you convince them?"

She looked away, unable to meet his azure eyes. "Well, you could say that." She said quietly. She had made friends with Ino and she stuck up for her when facing the other girls. Only to have Ino turn against her just because she liked Sasuke too. _But now, you're here..._ She didn't want to burst up in tears like she did when they first met, that would be embarrassing.

"That's great!" Naruto looked relieved. People weren't easily convinced so he was worried about her. "As long as they understand you." He looked around her.

"Huh?" She looked behind her. A midnight blue hair girl with lavender eyes watched them from behind the door leading to the roof. _Is she a stalker?_

Naruto waved at her, beckoning her over. "Hey Hinata-chan!"

Hinata shyly approached them. "H-hello Naruto-kun..." Her pale lavender eyes glanced at Sakura.

"Sorry. Hinata-chan this is Sakura-chan, Sakura-chan this is Hinata-chan. She's been my friend since forever." He introduced them to each other.

"Hi!"

"H-hello"

Naruto looked sheepish as he realized something. "I'm sorry Hinata-chan, I couldn't find you so we could eat lunch together. Those girls..."

"I-it's okay." She said softly.

Naruto looked in his bag, looking for something. "Hm... I forgot my lunch..." He looked crestfallen. He stomach roared.

"Y-you can have some of mine." Hinata offered her some of her lunch, rice balls.

"Thanks Hinata-chan!" Naruto drooled a bit as he took the rice ball. "This is deliciously!" He commented as he took a bite.

Hinata flushed at his praise. Something Sakura noticed.

_So she likes him too..._

XXX

Naruto dropped himself on the couch in the living room. "Man, that was a long day." He heaved himself up to a sitting position. For some reason, Sakura and Hinata were cold to each other. _Did something happen between them?_ He wondered.

"Rough day?" Kakashi materialized in front of him, leaning against the wall with his little orange book.

Naruto threw a kunai at him. "You tricked me!" He accused.

"Hm?... I have no idea what you are talking about." Kakashi flipped a page, holding Naruto's kunai between his index and middle fingers.

"You said that I should act cool and collected!"

"And?"

"I thought it would help me make friends. Now all the girls are after me!" Naruto practically wailed.

"And that is bad why?"

"I'm only five! Even if I have to revive the clan, I want to do that years from now!" His father talked to him about that stuff. A little to early for him. "I've seen what happened to dad, I'm too young to be thinking about that stuff!"

"There are kids a little older than you that are already fathers." Kakashi told him. "I just wanted to help you. Remember, you do get to have three wives."

Naruto groaned. _Nii-san's book are really inappropriate. _"I shall beat you for trying to corrupt me!" He leaped at him. "AH!"

XXX

Minato felt the sweat dripped down his back. Hearing everything. He had to admit, placing the responsibility of the clan's revival to a young boy wasn't exactly a good idea. _I should have waited until he was older..._ A crash from inside told him he should have.


	6. Rivals

**Sorry about the wait, I was caught up in my other story Chibi Naruto. I should have the next chapter of this story out soon. As well as the conclusion to Bye. I have edited this story because some people interpreted this chapter in ways I didn't intend. I sorry for the misunderstanding!!!**

**Chapter 6**

Naruto walked briskly toward the academy. He was in a great mood, he was even whistling a tune he heard his dad play once. The first year at the academy were dreadfully boring, he knew about most of what they were talking about. But his dad said he would have to go through it.

"Think of it as a step to being Hokage." Minato told him.

Plus, Sakura and Hinata acted strange all year. They would be themselves when was with them, but when they came in contact with each other. He didn't like the disdaining looks they shot each other.

"But today should be different! It's the last day of the year, that should cheer them up." He said convincingly to himself. "One month without listening to Iruka-sensei talk."

The true reason for his good mood was that today was the day they would be evaluated. He would get to show off some of his techniques. "Wait till they see my jutsu!" He almost shouted.

XXX

Hinata waited for Naruto by the gate, hoping to walk to class together. Sakura had already went inside, leaving him to her. For some reason, they were always trying to get his attention. _Rivalry? _She thought as she reminisce.

"Hey Hinata-chan!" Naruto's cheerful voice made her jump.

"G-good morning Naruto-kun." She managed to say while trying to keep her swiftly beating heart under control. "How are you?"

"I'm good." He grinned at her like always, making her blush. He looked around, nobody was around. The grounds were deserted. "Are we late?" He asked, looking up at the sun. _I know I woke up on time... _

"No, everyone is at the cafeteria." Hinata answered, her diversion had worked. Everyone would be busy until the bell rang dealing with toads. She was completely alone with Naruto. _I hope she's there too._

"Really? I thought most of them didn't like the food there." He grimaced, the food was indeed horrible. _Karin-san should teach them how to cook. _"I hope it's not mystery food." He chuckled. He remembered one kid eating it because of a dare. _That must be especially bad. No one falls unconscious unless it is! _He looked at Hinata questioningly. She was looking conflicted, which wasn't really like her. "Are you okay? You don't look very good."

Her face felt like it was on fire when he put his hand on her forehead. Her carefully thought out plan fell apart immediately. Everything went black as she fainted. The last thing she heard was.

"Hey! Hinata-chan!"

XXX

Naruto panicked when Hinata suddenly fainted. _What did I do?!_ He caught he before she hit the ground. _Why is she always fainting in front of me?! _He sighed heavily. He was just no good with girls, even though his two best friends were girls. That, for sure, he knew. He couldn't get his so-called fan club to leave him alone and Sakura and Hinata looked like they are fighting. "This is too much for a six year old."

XXX

Hinata's eyes fluttered open, blurry eyed. She groaned, her head was hurting. "Ow..." She felt a bump on the side of her head.

"You're finally awake." Naruto's voice hurt her head.

"Too loud." She muttered.

"Sorry." He apologized, bringing his voice down a notch.

Her eyes focused, Naruto was in the chair next to her bed, looking concern. "What happened?"

He grinned sheepishly. "Well... you fainted... and I kind of dropped you on the way. Sorry about that."

She moaned, her plan to confess her feelings for him had failed. _Why did I have to faint? Of all the times to faint, I had to do it there! _she thought with self-deprecating. "Are we late?" Sshe asked miserably, trying to keep the thought of failing away.

"No, the bell just rang." He peered directly into her face, concerned. "Are you okay Hinata-chan? We can skip class if you want," he offered. No matter how much he wanted to show off, his friends mattered more to him than what stranger thought of him. _Oh well, I can show off my skills some other time._

Hinata shook her head, seeing that he wanted to go to class. "I'm fine, just a little light-headed." She gingerly climbed out of the bed. "We should get going before we're late."

He nodded happily. "Right!" He grabbed her hand, causing her heartbeat to speed up again. "Here, this will be faster." He then threw her on his back, almost making her faint again. The infirmary was on the opposite side of their class. "Hang on tight!"

Hinata barely had time to wrap her arms around his neck before he took off at full speed. He weaved through the halls, careful not to crash into anyone. _Today wasn't so bad. . . _She leaned her head against his neck and let out a content sigh. She was blushing like mad and was on the edge of consciousness, but she was happy at the moment.

_She must be wore out, _Naruto surmised. _I hope she's not getting sick. _

XXX

Karin watched Naruto disappear around the corner, amused. "Like father, like son. Really, what is the chance that he is as dense as his father?" This was her job, helping out at the academy's infirmary. She was no Tsunade, but she could teach medical jutsu well. She just didn't like the hospital. Being here was easier, and she got to watch the boy, she thought of like a son, grow. She whistled the same tune Naruto was as she got back to work. "It will be interesting to see how he grows. . ."

XXX

Naruto running into the classroom with Hinata on his back drew questionable stares. "I made it!" He shouted, skidding to a stop just as Iruka came in.

"Okay, take your seats!" Iruka said, ignoring the fact that Naruto was very late.

Naruto let Hinata off his back. "That was close, huh?"

She nodded, her face still flushed. "Y-yeah."

"Hey Sakura-chan!" He called as they went to their seats.

"Morning!" Sakura greeted him, shooting Hinata a hostile glare. "And how are you, Hinata? Have any trouble with your little pets?" she asked innocently while ringing out her pink locks. Slime dribbed from her hair onto the desk.

"Um. . . Not really," Hinata replied, chuckling nervously.

"Sakura-chan, what happened to your hair? You look like you just got out of bed." Naruto was bewildered by Sakura's look. After she rang out her hair, it immediately stood up in spikes.

Sakura grinned gaily. "I had a little mishap with some toads this morning. Don't worry, I intend to make the one responsible for letting them loose pay," she growled threateningly and glared again at Hinata.

_Uh-oh, they're fighting again._ Naruto stepped between them. _I've got to do something, or else it may get out of hand._ "Sakura-chan, Hinata-chan. . " He was about to ask why they were fighting when Iruka's voice rose up amid the idle chatter around them.

"Okay, we're going to the field!" Iruka announced, interrupting them. "This will be your finally evaluation. Be sure to do your best."

XXX

"Okay, we will hold sparring matches!" Iruka held a clipboard. "It doesn't matter who goes, just give it you all." He looked at the crowd before him. "Anyone want to volunteer?"

"I think Sasuke-kun should go first!" A girl from the back shouted. Cries of assent followed and Sasuke was pratically tossed intot he sparring ring.

"And Naruto-kun too!" Again, a girl volunteered him also.

Iruka looked thoughtful. "Well... it would be interesting to see the two best students go at it.... Alright, Naruto, Sasuke, come up here." He even if he was interested, he was worried. Those two had sparked something of a rivalry.

Naruto walked calmly to the center. Inside, he was itching to show what he was made of. _This will be the first time I get to show what I can do! _His dad had him keep all his jutsu a secret. For this day, he told him to give it his all. _I'll make you proud dad!_

Sasuke was already up there. Watching his opponent. _Namikaze... I can see how strong I have gotten against you. I won't lose!_

"You can use any technique or jutsu you want. The match is over when I say it is, got it? Please don't try to kill each other." They both nodded. "Begin!"

"Namikaze." Sasuke said coolly.

"Uchiha." Naruto replied with equal warmth. Sasuke had proven himself to be a cold, arrogant person to Naruto. Something he didn't like. _Time to bring his arrogant ass down to earth. The girls may like his haughty behaver, but that's them. _"You may want to step back sensei," he suggested seriously as he got into a taijutsu stance.

"You're in the way." Sasuke snapped at his teacher.

XXX

On the side lines, there were cheers. "Go Sasuke-kun!"

"You can win Naruto-kun!"

Sakura was having a hard time deciding who to pick. She didn't want either to lose, but choosing who she wanted to win was hard. _A dilemma, and the worst kind! _She groaned as she looked on indecisively.

"Go Naruto-kun!" Hinata cheered softly.

XXX

"You're move, teme."

Sasuke smirked. "My first move will end this, daddy's boy."

"We'll see!" Naruto growled, making the first move. He lashed out with a side kick, aiming for his head.

Sasuke smoothly ducked and went to sweep Naruto's legs out from under him. "Too slow!" he shouted.

"You shouldn't underestimate people!" Naruto hopped into the air and spun around, bringing his leg down.

Sasuke launched himself back, skidding across the ground. He had an insolent smile on his lips. "It's over." He performed the first jutsu he learned. "Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" Spewing out a giant ball of fire.

"Hey, that's going too far!" Iruka shouted angrily, beginning to intervene.

"Sensei, don't move!" Naruto ordered before Iruka could do anything. "You might get hurt."

Iruka stopped short, blanching. _I could get hurt? . . . Just want kind of power does he possess?_ he wondered as he felt the chakra build up in Naruto. _He is the Hokage's son after all, _he reasoned as the wind began to whip up and blow sand and dirt around.

Naruto quickly formed the hand signs of his own jutsu. The ball of fire didn't make him frigthen. "Fuuton: Chou Kogarashi!" The wind around them picked up until it was howling like a mad beast. The freezing, blustery wind blew out the ball of fire.

_What?! _Sasuke pulled out two kunai and plunged them into the ground to keep from getting blew away.

The crowd had less of a hard time, only some of the wind hit them. Which made them stumble around and shakin due to the fridged tempture.

"So strong!" Some one yelled over the wind.

"It's freezing!!!"

"This is going to be a great fight!"

Naruto let the jutsu go and the wind calmed down. "Had enough?"

Sasuke was breathing heavily. He tried futilely to keep his teeth from chattering. "You wish!" He took a deep breath, the cold air calming him. _Father's jutsu scroll will come in handy. I was right to study some of the advance techniques._ "Here I come," he whispered. "I hope you are ready, Namikaze, because I am not going to lose to you."

Naruto got ready as Sasuke charged straight at him. "Bring it!"

"That's enough!" Iruka's voice stopped both of them in their tracks. "I declare this a draw! Now, shake hands." He said.

"A draw?" Sasuke was outrage. _I'm not done yet!_

Naruto looked disappointed. "Really?" He walked back to the crowd. "I was about to win." He murmured quietly, but Sasuke caught it.

They briefly shook hands and went in opposite directions. "We'll finish this another time, daddy's boy! Don't think this is over."

Naruto looked at him over his shoulder. "Anytime, teme!"

XXX

From a rooftop, two figures watched the two boys with interest. One wore a blank, white mask and the other had his cloak hood drawn over his head, obscuring his face.

"What do you think? They are both strong for little boys?" the one in the white mask asked.

"Yes, and the sharingan has yet to awaken in the young Uchiha. And as expected, the Namikaze boy is growing at an amazing rate." He turned around and started to walk away. "The master will be very pleased to hear this.

**Next chapter: Celebration and an unexpected gift**


	7. Celebration and an unexpected gift

**Chapter 7**

Naruto sat on the steps leading upstairs, staring at nothing in particular. Every few minutes, he would stretch and yawn. _How much longer is it going to take? _he wondered impatiently, looking toward the front door. He fidgeted nervously as the time stretched on.

A creak from above told him his father was coming. "Hey, son. Have you guests arrived yet?" Minato asked as he came down from upstairs. It looked at his son, then out a nearby window at the last vestiges of sunlight. _Guests should be arriving soon. . . _

Naruto shook his head slightly and stood up. "No, I don't think anyone is coming," he said a little morosely. He looked at his dad with a fearful expression in his eyes. "Dad, why do we have to have a celebration?"

For the first time, he actually saw fear in his son. Naruto has always been strong, resilient, and carefree all his life, seeing this worried Minato very much. He placed a hand on his shoulder, feeling a pang of guilt and shame. _He's afraid. . . While any other child would be excited at the idea of having a party with his classmates . . .He's afraid. _He felt responsible for this, having keep Naruto under close surveillance all his life. He had no choice, he had made dangerous enemies during his career as a ninja; and any enemy would want an advantage over their adversaries.

"Don't you want to acknowledge the fact that you survived your first year at the academy?" he asked.

Naruto shook his head. "No, not really," he replied while glancing at the front door. He was sure that his classmates were on their way here. He faintly sense their chakra signatures and if he focused a little chakra into his ears, he could hear excited voices. "I don't really see the point in this. We have five more years left. What makes this year so special? Shouldn't the last year, the year we graduate, be the more important?" He looked at his father, curious.

_He's more mature than children at his age should be. _Minato sighed and fixed a serious look on his son.

Naruto wanted to squirm under the gravitas of his father's gaze. _Did I do something wrong? _

Minato knelt so he could look his son directly in his eyes. He placed his hands on both of his shoulders. "Son, you have to understand, not everything has to have a certain degree of importance to mean something. If everything was serious all the time, I think I would have gone crazy long ago." He smiled warmly, then he stood up and ruffled his hair. "We need to be able to do things for fun and nothing else, or life wouldn't be worth living."

Minato reached into his pocket and pulled out Kakashi's little orange book. He grinned mischievously. "You see, taking Kakashi's book has no great importance, but I still do it. It has no other meaning than just to mess with him." He chuckled as he pocketed the book, thinking of the distress Kakashi was feeling. He could just imagine it.

XXX

Kakashi flipped over the only sofa he had in his apartment. He didn't notice it smash into and imbed into the wall. His single eye frantically scanned the area his sofa had occupied. "Where is it?!" he shouted in despair. "I knew I had it with me!"

XXX

Slowly, Naruto nodded in understanding. "So, you mean I should have fun and enjoy my childhood?"

Minato stopped chuckling and grew serious once again. "Yes, that is exactly what I am saying." He pulled out one of his custom made kunai. "What do you see?"

Naruto tilted his head slightly to the side, confused. "A kunai?" he answered. Lately, Minato had been training him to see underneath the underneath. He would give him trick questions or ones that had a more complicated answer than the obvious.

Minato twirled the kunai around deftly. "You see a kunai; I see a tool of death," he said grimly. He threw the kunai with practiced ease at a single flower in a vase across the room. The kunai cut through the flower and made 'chunked' sound when it went into the wood. "That flower was a living thing, but it isn't the same as taking another human's life."

"This is what awaits you. The path of a shinobi is bloody and filled with death, and you will eventually have to take a life." He made a hand sign and appeared by the kunai with a yellow flash. "That is what the academy will never teach you. They may _describe_ how it will be like, but they can never really show you." He yanked out the kunai and put in back in his weapon's pouch. "I want you to keep your innocence for as long as possible. I don't want you to reach that point where you see people as just targets, or flowers. I want you to see them like you see them now, friends and comrades. So now do you see why I wanted you to stay in the academy instead of having you take the offer to be promoted to Genin?"

Naruto stood there, quietly mulling over what he was being told. Being the son of the strongest ninja in the village, he had learned to never take what his father told him for granted. Being the Hokage, he had certainly went through a lot to reach the position he was in now. He grinned cheerfully and nodded. "I got it dad."

Minato returned his grin. "Good." He made another hand sign and appeared in front go the door. "And now, I think you should enjoy your party." He opened the door just as Sakura motioned to knock. "Good evening, Haruno-san, you're early," he greeted with a grin.

Sakura blushed momentary. "I-I thought I'd get here early," she replied softly. Even though he was the Hokage, and the best ninja in the village and a war veteran, she did have a slight crush on the much sought after Fourth Hokage. "U-Um. . . Uh. . ." She fumbled for something to say. _Sakura, you're making a fool of yourself! _She wanted to drop dead as she stumbled for something coherent to say.

She was saved. "Hi, Sakura-chan!" Naruto greeted her happily, his feeling of anxiety and fear vanishing at the sight of her. He hopped down the stairs and almost crashed into her.

Minato chuckled at Sakura's reaction. She blushed like mad when he stopped a few inches short. _He is my son after all. _He gestured toward the parlor. "The decorations are set up, and there is music playing. Why don't you two go check it out?" he suggested mildly. "There are snacks too, if your hungry."

Naruto lit up, being excluded from the parlor as the servants decorated it made him curious to see how it looked now. "Yeah, let's go see how it looks!" Naruto grabbed Sakura's hand on impulse and almost dragged her away.

"Naruto-kun, slow down!" Sakura squeaked as she was trying to keep from being dragged. Despite her protest, she was smiling.

"Son, I have a gift for you. I'll give it to you later!" Minato shouted but wasn't sure if he was heard. He didn't care if he was. He couldn't help himself, he grinned. Seeing someone that accepted Naruto just for himself and not for his name or who his father was made him happy and sad for his son. He watched as Naruto and Sakura disappeared around a corner. _Just wait until he gets older. . . Things won't be as simple as giving him advice and having him accept it._

_For now, we have to deal with the hatred that is directed at him. _He looked out the open down and could see other children coming. He could also see their parents. His grin faltered when he saw that the parents were openly hostile and suspicious. A few caught his eye and glared openly at the Hokage. _They still don't understand. Naruto never had a choice. He _has _to stay alive, just being alive prevents the Kyubi from ever coming back. _

He sighed heavily and plastered a carefree grin on his face as he began to greet guest.

XXX

Two cloaked figures watched from a nearby roof as the Yondaime politely greeted the guests and showed them the way to the parlor. A raven-hair boy lay unconscious at their feet, but they paid him no attention. Their hoods were drawn over their heads, obscuring their faces. But you would have been able to tell them apart.

One was tall and lithe with a wicked grin on his face. He stepped on the ledge and threw off his hood, revealing a man with a distinct scar running across his face, from top to bottom. "This will be easy," he boasted. He looked over at his comrade and flashed another wicked grin. "Right, Tai?"

Tai pulled his hood off with less theatrical flare. His piecing blue eyes bore into his partner. "You should not be so arrogant, Yuri," he replied in a icy voice. He did not like people who were overconfident.

Yuri stuck out his tongue at Tai and pulled down his eyelid. "It's called confidence, look it up."

"Child."

"Zombie."

Tai sighed and turned away from Yuri. "Fine, do what you please." He hefted the boy onto his shoulders. "I have achieved my objective, so I will head back." He looked over his shoulder and sent one last scolding glare. "Do not fail. This is the Yondaime's own son; death will be the first thing you will wish for if you do so."

"You worry too much. There is no way Hayama Yuri will ever be caught!" he shouted loudly.

"You have given away your position, fool," Tai noted before vanishing in a swirl of wind.

"Crap!" Yuri leaped into a bush by the building before the ANBU appeared. _Dammit, a branch is poking my ass._

XXX

The parlor was decorated expertly. Music played, filling the room, but was not too loud or too quiet. Food was set against a wall, a whole buffet with various dishes. Most of the furniture was set aside to make room so people could dance without fear of falling over a sofa or stool.

"Wow, they did a great job!" Naruto exclaimed the moment they entered. He looked around the room in awe. The parlor hadn't been used since Naruto had been born, but it didn't fall into dilapidation. The wooden floors were clean and polished, and the windows allowed in the fading light of the sunset that reflected off the floor and made the room glow. "I've got to thank Nami and the others."

"It's beautiful," Sakura agreed. She looked down and noticed that Naruto was still holding her hand. She blushed faintly. _This place is so romantic, _she thought as she gazed at Naruto's face. As if on cue, a slow song started to play from the speakers. _Maybe. . . I could-_

"Naruto-kun!!!" A cacophony of shrieks followed.

"Ah!" Naruto cried out in surprise as he was thrown to the floor by three of his fan girls tackling him.

"Naruto-kun, we're so happy you invited us _personally_!" they all shouted while clinging to him.

Naruto's brain began to think quickly. _Got to get free! _He managed to free his hands to form a hand sign. With a burst of smoke that threw his fan girls off him, an exact clone appeared next to him. "Take care of this!" Naruto ordered the clone.

"Of course, teichou," the clone replied cheekily with a nod.

Naruto didn't even consider the consequences as grabbed Sakura's hand and ran for the balcony. "Let's go!" he said, panicked. _I knew this was a bad idea. _Despite having a fan club that tried to cling onto him at every moment, he was afraid to be touched. Partially because he was afraid they would hurt him, like the villagers did when he wondered off from his father. But the main reason was because he had been alone for as long as he could remember and didn't know what to do.

Sakura didn't have time to agree as Naruto jumped off the balustrade and into the garden.

XXX

Naruto wiped the sweat from his brow, visible shaken. He collapsed on one of the many stone benches that were scattered throughout the garden. He ran a hand through his blonde hair. _I almost killed them. . . _he thought with horror and self-deprecation. He looked at his trembling hands, shaking from resisting the instinctive need to protect himself. _I could have killed everyone in that room. . ._

He squeezed his hands into tight fists to control them, but to no avail. They continued to trembler violently. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. _Dad would be ashamed if he every found out. . . I have to relax. They aren't the villagers. . . _He clenched teeth when a torrent of images rushed unbidden into his mind.

Being surrounded, torches, and blood. That was what was tormenting him, the blood.

A voice whispered darkly in his ear. _**"You still don't understand. . . They will inevitably grow into those villagers that hurt you. . . It is better to kill them before they can cause you pain."**_

_Shut up!_ Naruto screamed at the voice. _I made a promise to my dad, and I never go back on my word!_

XXX

**Flashback. . . **

Minato lifted his son off the ground and spun him around. "You did it!" he exclaimed, extremely proud. They stood amid what used to be a cluster of trees. All that was left was stumps.

"Of course I did. I am your son!" Naruto replied with a grin. True to his word, his father began to spend more and more time with him. They would do many things, but it was mostly training. Just like now, Naruto had master another jutsu; the wind sword.

Minato set Naruto down on the ground. He looked at the damage. Each tree was neatly cut down to size. _What will he be like when he's older? . . ._ he wondered.

Naruto looked up at his father with eager eyes. "What jutsu are you going to teach me next?" he asked excitedly. Despite being ready to drop from exhaustion, he wanted to spend as much time with his father as possible.

Minato looked back at his son and his grin vanished, replaced with a stern expression. "I'm not going to teach another jutsu. In fact, you are forbidden from ever using these jutsu until you graduate or if you are protecting anyone precious to you," he replied.

"What?!" Naruto whined loudly. _Why did I do all that training if I can't use them? _

Minato held up a hand, quieting Naruto immediately. Naruto was mature for his age, but acted his age at times. "Let me explain," he said with an authoritative tone. "I know you feel like all the training seems worthless because you cannot use the techniques you have learned." Naruto nodded. "This is going to sound very harsh, son. . . But I cannot teach you anymore jutsu because you are still a child."

Naruto visibly flinched. _He thinks I'm irresponsible. . . _he thought dejectedly. It stung, but he knew his father was right, he was still just a kid. _At least for now._

Minato took a seat on one of the numerous stumps and beckoned to Naruto. "You are a great son, Naruto. And an even greater student. You know one forbidden jutsu and two A-rank jutsu."

Naruto sat down. _He makes it sound like a bad thing. _

"For a kid your age, that should be impossible." Minato looked at Naruto with pride. "You are even mature for your age too. But sadly, you cannot change the way the world looks at you with a couple jutsu." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He looked back at Naruto with a lopsided grin. "Promise me something, son."

Naruto returned his grin. "Anything day!"

"Promise me that you will never let anyone determine who you are. Promise that you will always be yourself no matter what you told."

Naruto was confused. _Who else can I be? If it makes dad happy. . ._ He nodded. "I promise dad!"

"And you never go back on you word, right?"

"Yup, because that is my nindo. Same as yours!"

XXX

_I would never do that to them. _

Sakura sat down next to him, panting heavily. Naruto had dragged her across the vast garden before finally stopping. _What's wrong with him?! _she wondered as she glanced at him. "Naruto-kun, are you okay?" she asked worriedly, seeing him shaking.

"I-I'm fine Sakura-chan," Naruto replied shakily. He tried to force a smile but failed.

"Are you sure?" She placed her hand on his arm. He flinched and drew away. That stung. _Why is he acting like this? He's acting like I'm going to hurt him. _"Naruto-kun, you are definitely not okay," she said sternly. "What's the matter with you? You're being strange. This isn't like you."

Naruto chuckled. "No, it's not," he agreed. He looked at her with a vulnerable expression. "But it is apart of me." He grabbed his hand and tried to make it stop shaking.

"No, it isn't," Sakura huffed. "This isn't anything like the Naruto-kun I knew! The Naruto-kun I knew wouldn't let himself be shaken up so much. He would be the one comforting the one who was truly scared!" She blushed and hesitated before she wrapped her arms around him. "The Naruto-kun I know isn't afraid of anything."

Naruto wanted to leap away immediately, but for some reason he didn't want to. He felt. . . Safe. _I feel pathetic now. . . She makes everything I'm afraid of seem meaningless. _He smiled sadly. "You think too highly of me, Sakura. . . I am only human after all. Even I get afraid."

"You don't think much about yourself."

"Aw, isn't this sweet?" A cloaked man stepped out from behind a hedge.

Naruto instantly leaped to his feet and nudged Sakura behind him. "Who are you?" he demanded. He stood protectively in front of Sakura, watching the intruder intently.

A smile broke out under his hood. "You don't need to know my name. All you need to know is that you are coming with me, willingly or by force." He started to saunter forward.

"Sakura-chan, go get my father," Naruto whispered conspicuously to her. "I'll hold him off." He saw her about to argue but stopped her. "Don't argue, just go!"

She paused, then took off for the house.

"No you don't." Yuri drew some kunai and hurled them at Sakura's exposed back. Metal rang out as kunai intercepted his and cancelled each other out. He gave Naruto an annoyed frown. "It figures you had be good enough with kunai. Not many kids can do what you just did." _This complicates things. I better hurry._

"What do you want with me?" Naruto asked as he got into a taijutsu stance.

Yuri shrugged. "Your father has made many enemies. They will use every advantage they can get, including. . ." He appeared in front of Naruto and slammed his fist into his gut. "using you." He caught him as he fell and threw him over his shoulders. "I bet you didn't expect to be take hostage. Well, the unexpected gifts are the most fun or painful."


	8. Mistake

"**You cannot gain without first losing."**

**Chapter 8**

Minato smiled gregariously as he pointed the way to the parlor. Once again, he saw the poorly hidden hate in the parents eyes, and the unmasked excitement in their child's. _Why can't adults be as innocent as children? _"Thank you for coming," he uttered with as much warmth as he could muster.

"Hokage-sama!" a girl screamed.

Minato whirled around and caught the pink-haired girl that came bounding into him. "What's the matter Haruno-san?" he asked. Every one of his senses were alert. _Where is Naruto?!_ He looked over her, but didn't see his son.

"N-Naruto-kun is f-fighting!" she sobbed, tears streaming down her frightened face. "A m-man in a cloak. . . In the r-rose garden!" She was hysterical. _Naruto-kun could be hurt!_

Minato's eyes narrowed as he stood up. "Stay here Haruno-san," he said sternly. He began to weave together hand signs to his signature jutsu. _Let's see who was foolish enough to attack my son. _He formed the last hand sign and disappeared in a yellow flash.

XXX

Minato appeared by wall surrounding the rose garden, next to the custom-made kunai he gave Naruto. A note was pinned to wall by the kunai. He removed it with an angry jerk and scanned it. He gritted his teeth as he balled up the paper and tossed it. _Dammit! How could I have been so naïve?! _His shoulders sagged as he formed a plan.

_Dear Hokage-sama,_

_You should already know this, but just in case; I took your son. You have made the wrong sort of enemies and will pay for your mistakes. No harm will befall your son as long as you come to this location alone and with chakra restrictors. _

"_An eye for an eye, and an arm for an arm."_

"Is there any clues!" Kakashi asked as he leaped down from the wall. He scoured the area for anything that could help. He even sniffed the air for Naruto or the culprit's scent. "Nothing. . .," he muttered as he picked up the crumpled note and read it. He turned to his sensei and Hokage. "What should we do, Hokage-sama?"

Minato shook his head slowly, showing resignation. He looked at Kakashi with grief-filled eyes. "Kakashi. . ."

Kakashi understood and shook his head vehemently. "No, you can't be serious!"

Minato nodded grimly. "I am. . . He is my son and I will do anything to make sure he is safe. . ." He placed a hand on Kakashi's shoulder. "Just like any father would." He gripped Kakashi's shoulder tightly. "Kakashi, listen to me. Once I leave, assemble an ABNU squad and follow a half hour after I leave. I don't trust them to keep their word once they are done with me. Make sure that-" His orders were cut off as Kakashi delivered a vicious blow to the back of his head.

Kakashi caught him and lowered him to the ground. "I'm sorry, sensei, but do it yourself." He memorized the meeting place and ignited the paper. He watched as the wind took the ashes then leaped over the wall.

XXX

Naruto groaned quietly as he regained consciousness. He blinked his eyes in confusion when he didn't recognized his surrounds. He was laying on a cold stone with a waterfall encompassing his view. _What the. . . _

His confusion lasted for only a moment before he remembered. _How could I have been so lax! _He scolded himself as he struggled with the rope that bound his arms and legs.

"Don't bother kid. Those ropes are made from my chakra; they'll constrict you harder the more you struggle." The man that kidnapped him landed in front of him and pulled off his hood chin-length, brown hair hung loosely and his lips were curved in a wicked smile. "Hello, Namikaze Naruto," he greeted like they were old friends.

Naruto glared at him. "Who are you?" he demanded curtly.

"Tsk, tsk," the man tutted, wagging his index finger playfully. "I told you, my name is not important."

"Yuri, shut up and move the Uchiha kid out of the river!" another man spoke up in a deeper voice. "He will be no good to us dead."

"Tai!" Yuri whined like a child. He ran his hand through his hair and chuckled. "There goes my air of mystery."

"There's nothing mysterious about an idiot! Get to it! Before our guest of honor arrives!" Tai yelled from the bottom of the cliff. He was busy gathering firewood and was grumbling expletives. "Babysitting; they don't pay me enough," he muttered.

Yuri sighed heavily before turning back to Naruto, still grinning wickedly. "Now don't be getting into trouble," he said before leaping over the ledge with practiced grace.

Naruto quickly began to free himself when Yuri left. To his ire, Yuri was right and the ropes tighten when he loosen them to a certain point. _How am I suppose to escape? . . . _He shut his eyes in deep concentration. _Come on, Naruto, think!_

His concentration was broken by a loud shout. "Do you have any idea who I am?!" a familiar arrogant voice demanded.

Naruto almost laughed as he saw Sasuke being carried like trash. _Not so high and mighty now, Uchiha. _

Yuri tossed Sasuke roughly next to Naruto. Sasuke glared daggers at Yuri's back as he walked away.

"So you got caught too, Uchiha," Naruto stated nonchalantly.

Sasuke turned his glare at him, then smirked. "So have you, Namikaze. I guess you're not as great as they say."

Naruto chuckled. "You must be the same if you're here with me!"

Sasuke's smirk fell, replaced by a deep scowl. "Watch yourself, Namikaze. I am part of the Uchiha clan, the elite," he snapped venomously. "Why would they even want trash like you, I will never know."

Naruto shook his head, pityingly. "Your name doesn't determine your strength. Relying on a name is foolish." He didn't bother to wait for Sasuke's reply and turned his back to him and blocked him out. _Just because you're family is great, doesn't mean you will be. _

XXX

Yuri and Tai stood up as they sensed someone coming. "It's time," Tai said grimly, summoning a scythe from a scroll. He gripped it tightly before he leaped into the trees. "The Yondaime Hokage dies for his mistakes."

"Do you always have to make everything sound so grim?" Yuri asked as he summoned his own weapon, a buster sword longer than his body. He hefted it on his shoulders and followed.

XXX

Naruto stiffen, sensing a familiar chakra. He sat up quickly, looking around. _What's he doing here?! _Determination flooded into his when he realized why he was captured, and he began to struggle against his bonds. _It was so obvious I didn't think of it! They're using me as bait!_

"It's useless you know," Sasuke muttered. He was laying on his back, staring up at the starry sky.

Naruto grimaced as the ropes constricted until they cut into him. _I have to help Kakashi-senpai! _As his struggles become more desperate, he felt a dark power spill into him.

"_**Be grateful brat. . ."**_

With a roar, he snapped the ropes off. He stared in amazement as the cuts healed instantly. _Wow. . . What happened? _A huge boom brought him out of his stupor and he started running in the direction it came from.

"Wait, free me!" Sasuke's voice was lost in another explosion.

XXX

Kakashi slammed into and through a tree. His henge had been dispelled with the first attack. He flipped in mid-air and landed on his feet, already revealing his sharingan. _They can hide their scent as well as their chakra. . . Just like that earth nin. _

Yuri appeared in front of him and swung his giant sword around. Kakashi neatly avoided it.

"Dressing up like the Hokage. That's a serious crime, Hatake Kakashi," Yuri said with a savage grin. "We were planning on killing the Hokage, but his student will suffice. After all, what kind of teacher won't try to avenge his student?"

"My, aren't you confident," Kakashi mocked. He ducked nimbly, barely dodging the scythe that came flashing out of the trees. _There's the second one. _He ran through hand signs and inhaled. "Fire Style: Grand Fireball!" He exhaled a boulder of flames at Yuri's partner.

"Water Style: Shark Missiles!" Five vicious sharks pierced through and extinguished his jutsu.

Kakashi cursed as he leaped away. _Their teamwork is flawless. . . I think I'm in trouble. _Yuri appeared in front of him, his sword poised to strike.

"Die!" Yuri cut Kakashi clean in half, only to discover a log. "Substitution!"

"Lightening Blade!" Kakashi burst from the ground, lunging at the helpless Yuri trapped in the air. _I got him! _he thought triumphantly as he saw the fear on Yuri's face. That fear turned to horror as he drew near.

"Wind Style: Hurricane Barrier!"

_Dammit! _Kakashi's hand smashed into a wall of wind chakra, blowing him back and interrupting his jutsu. _Now I know I'm in trouble. Wind beats lightening._

Kakashi jumped back to put distance between the enemy. "You two are pretty good," he commented.

Yuri and Tai both stood haughtily, both smirking.

"Yup! We're the best in the business," Yuri gloated, grinning wickedly. He rested his buster sword on his shoulder.

"And we don't make mistakes," Tai added, twirling his scythe in circles by its chain. "Unfortunately, this time we did. You are not our target. Leave and we will spare you."

Kakashi chuckled and prepared another lightening blade. _Last one, I better make it count. _"You think I'd let you keep my sensei's son? No, I don't think so." His eyes harden as lightening crackled all around him. "And you're wrong about another thing. . . Your mistake. . .was messing with my little bro!" He charged forward, almost a blur.

"Here he comes." Tai pulled back the chain and caught his scythe. "You know what to do," he said before going to meet Kakashi.

Yuri's grin grew wider. _And the famed copy nin dies! _he thought gleefully.

XXXNaruto leaped down and into the battlefield. _I'm too late! _He watched as Kakashi and Tai came within striking distance. Tai hurled his scythe at Kakashi, which he ducked under.

"Lightening Blade!" Kakashi roared, lunging at Tai's exposed chest.

Hope rose in Naruto as he continued to watch. _He's going to win! _

"Too slow, Kakashi!"

Despair quickly replaced hope as Yuri's sword intercepted Kakashi's hand. _No! _The sword gave under the jutsu and split neatly in two, but it was enough. Tai pulled back his scythe sharply and slashed across Kakashi's chest.

"Nii-san!" Naruto shouted, running to help.

"Pft, that was close," Tai sighed. Kakashi's hand was touching his chest, but was harmless now. He shoved Kakahsi away, grinning a little as he landed in a heap.

"Nii-san!" Naruto called to Kakashi as he reached him. "Nii-san, are you alright?"

Kakashi's eyes curved as he smiled. He "Run little bro. . . Your father . . . is waiting. . ." he uttered with effort. "Don't . . . keep him . . . waiting."

_No! No! No! No! NO! NO! _Naruto screamed inside his head as saw the light fade from Kakashi's eyes. He shook him violently, as if to wake him. "Get up Nii-san! We'll go back together with the teme! Get up!"

"Man, who would have thought the Hokage's son was such a crybaby," Yuri chuckled.

"You have no respect," Tai scolded Yuri with a scathing glare. "Kakahsi was a fine shinobi, more than I can say about you."

Yuri frowned. "You sound like you respect him."

Tai nodded, never taking his eyes off them. "In a way, I do."

Naruto huddled over Kakashi's body, crying silently. Those who knew Naruto, know that he never cried. Not even when he hurt badly or felt the pain of isolation pressed down in him. It took a lot to get a single tear out of him.

"Come on brat, he's dead. Leave him be and we'll be on our way!" Yuri sealed away his sword. "Come on, he was a tool, nothing more!" He cringed as an enormous amount of killer intent was directed at him.

"Shut up!" Naruto brawled.

"Fool, look what you have done!" Tai hissed.

Naruto rose slowly to his feet. The air around him was disturbed. "Nii-san was never a tool. . ." His voice was gruffer than any seven year old. "He was a ninja of Konohagakure no Sato and. . ." He turned around, tears streaking down his face. His eyes were slits and a brilliant red. Red chakra crackled around him, taking form in fox. "HE WAS MY NIISAN!"

They both braced themselves as Naruto's chakra lashed out at them.

**Sorry about mistakes, too tired to edit.**


	9. Regret

**Please check out my other stories! (Anonymous, Chibi Naruto, True Love, Cherry Blossom Withers, Bye) Thanks!**

**I edited this chapter because I didn't like how it came out. Sorry for the confusion.**

**Chapter 9**

Minato sat up slowly, groaning and rubbing the back of his throbbing head. "Ouch. . .," he murmured as he massaged the bump on his head. "What happened-?!" He leaped to his feet, simultaneously scanning the area as he did so.

"Dammit! Too much time has past!" He berated himself for not anticipating Kakashi's actions. _I'm his sensei. I should know him! _He gritted his teeth as he quickly weaved together a complex session of hand signs. "You better not have gotten yourself killed, Kakashi!" he growled before disappearing in a yellow flash.

XXX

"You are truly a fool for all ages," Tai hissed at his partner as a blast of Naruto's chakra hit him. He applied chakra to the soles of his feet just to stay standing. _His chakra is monstrous . . . and foul! _For once, in a long time, his impassive face was etched with fear.

Yuri, on the other hand, was grinning wickedly as he watched Naruto transform. "Come on, Tai! Don't be so uptight! Just think of how much fun we'll have now!" His manic grin never left his face.

"You will be the death of us," Tai complained, taking out and swinging his scythe in wide circles. "If we ever live through this, I'm breaking off this partnership."

Yuri unsheathed a nondescript katana from his back. "You don't sound so confident in our abilities," he noted with a slight frown. "We can take this brat, no problem!"

Tai shook his head slowly. "Fool, do you not sense the strength radiating from him? It's taking a lot of chakra for me to continue standing."

"You're getting old, Tai. You're not as much fun," Yuri teased.

"**Are you two done talking?" **Naruto suddenly interrupted. The air around them was disturbed, whipping around violently. In the middle of the disturbance, was Naruto encased in a burning red chakra cloak shaped like a fox.

He raised a clawed hand. **"I hope you said what you needed to, because it will be your last words!" **Without any warning of any kind, red claws shot out from the cloak.

"Shit!" Tai cursed as he lurched sideways to avoid being skewered. _His chakra is branching! _he noticed with horror as more claws shot out from the previous ones. _What kind of monster is that boy?! _he wondered as he dodged for his life.

"Now, this is more like it!" Yuri exclaimed excitedly as he nimbly avoided the five-clawed spears, albeit only by inches.

_He's actually enjoying this?! _Tai thought with disgust. He was sorely tempted to leave him and allow him to fend for himself. He shook his head vigorously, discarding that thought. He was too honorable to sink so low. _Honor is such a burden. _He ducked under and weaved through numerous spears of chakra.

"**Is that all you two can do?!" **Naruto demanded as he sent out more tentacles. **"You killed my Niisan so easily, why can't you show the same power against me?"**

_Here's my chance! _he thought with relief as he saw an opening. He gladly took it and charged straight at Naruto's unprotected flank.

"Aw, don't end it so soon Tai!" Yuri shouted with a pout. He watched as Tai drew close to Naruto. _Guess my fun's over. . . _

"Die!" Tai roared as he slashed at Naruto's throat.

XXXMiles away, in a dark, underground room, two figures waited patiently. To whom was the master was obvious, he sat in a impressive stone chair, resting his chin on his palm propped on his chair rest.

The other stood next to him, his glasses gleaming in the light of a single candle. He looked over at his master curiously. "Do you think they will succeed?" he asked suddenly.

His leader chuckled mockingly. "Ku, ku, ku, ku. . . Kabuto, if they had a chance of succeeding, I would have sent you instead." Two snake-like slits open in the dim light, shining with wickedness. "No, I expect them to failure. After all, this is all a test for dear, little Naruto-kun."

"Could that boy really be your ideal body?" Kabuto asked, adjusting his glasses slightly. His master had switched bodies twice now, and both times the body rejected his soul. As a result, he had to keep switching every few years. _A body that can hold his soul, does it really exist? _he wondered idly.

"Ku, ku, ku. . ." Again, he chuckled. "Yes, he would have been. . . Who else could be than the Hokage's own son? A son who he will no undoubtedly taught advance jutsu to and strengthened. . ." He sighed dramatically and placed his face in his hand. "Unfortunately, his demon will prevent me from doing so." He smiled a disturbing smile. "He shall have his uses though."

Kabuto nodded understandingly. "So that is why you had the Uchiha taken also."

"You're not as dim witted as you have others believe, Kabuto." He gave his subordinate an almost appraising look.

Kabuto smiled, his eyes filled with cold calculations and malice. "You give me too much credit, Orochimaru-sama. I'm actually a terrible actor."

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed slightly and he hissed, "Yes, that sometimes slips my mind."

XXX

Tai stared with disbelief as his scythe shattered against Naruto's chakra cloak. "How?!"

"**Bastard, you actually think I would leave myself unprotected?" **Naruto mocked. **"This chakra will protect me from any harm. . . Too bad, the same cannot be said for you." **He placed a hand against his chest and focused.

A burst of red chakra exploded out of Tai's back. With a gurgled sound, Tai collapsed to the ground with eyes filled with disbelief. He stared at Naruto for once second before jerking once and then going still.

Naruto gazed coldly at his body. _You deserved this. . ._ he thought with conviction. A sickening sensation rose up in his stomach, causing him to almost double over. He felt like he wanted to vomit, but he refrained himself through pure sheer of will. _I can't. . . I'm not done yet._

"You totally suck, Tai! How could you let yourself be killed by this pipsqueak?" Yuri's head slumped in disappointment. "In the end, you were the real fool."

Naruto steeled his nerves, then turned and glared at Yuri. **"You're both fools in equal amounts. The only cure for foolishness is . . . death!" **

XXX

Minato arrived at the scene and was almost blown back by the amount of killer intent that filled the air. He blinked in surprise and horror as he recognized the Kyubi's chakra that fouled the air. _Don't tell me. . . _

He leaped into the trees and followed the sounds of a battle. He prayed to Kami desperately that his answer to all this commotion was wrong. _Please let me be in time! _

He burst into a clearing. . .and his blue eyes went wide. He grimaced as he took in the scene. He saw a body laying in a growing pool of blood. He went over and checked it. ". . . He must be one of kidnappers. . ." He stood up and left it where it was.

He looked around some more and spotted what he hoped he hadn't. Kakashi's supine form laid in the center of the clearing. _So Kakashi did go in my stead, _he thought sadly as he went to him. He knelt down and tried to find a pulse. . .

He let out a sigh of relief. "Good. . . You didn't get yourself killed." He stood up and chuckled. "If you died, you wouldn't be able to see me burn all your books."

His relief was short lived as a roar tore through the air. **"Is dodging all you're good at?!" **From out of thick cluster of trees, a red clad figure broke through. The fox shaped chakra was unmistakably the Kyubi's. **"Hold still, and I will make it painless!" **he shouted, voice filled with rage, as dozens of claws shot out of his cloak toward his nimble target.

Yuri dodged effortless and gracefully, twirling and leaping through the air. "Ha! Like I'd believe you!"

_Naruto?! _Minato almost had to rub his eyes. He just couldn't believe that fox shaped monster was his son. _How did this happen? When did the seal start weakening?_ He shook his head and formed a hand sign. _I can worry about that later. I have to act now! _"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

A dozen clones appeared out of the smoke. They all exchanged nods. Minato ran after his son while his clones went to take care of Yuri.

Naruto let out a frustrated roar as Yuri and Minato's clones disappeared further into the dense forest. **"Get back here!!!" **He caught movement in his peripheral vision and turned toward it. His red slits narrowed dangerously when he saw Minato running toward him. **"Why do you interfere?"** he demanded with a growl.

_He doesn't recognize me! _Minato realized almost too late. He was forced to wretch his body to the side as a red claw soared at him. He gritted his teeth as the claw glazed his side, causing a burning red pain to rake his body. _It burns! _

Naruto through back his head, letting out a guttural roar. **"Do not interfere! I will avenge my Niisan!"**

Minato cursed as another tail formed behind Naruto. _The Kyubi's chakra is spilling out too quickly! At this rate- _he broke that train of thought and focused on what he had to do. _I'm sorry son, this is going to hurt. _He reached into his kunai pouch and took out a dozen or so custom made kunai. He hurled them deftly all around Naruto and began forming hand signs.

"**Do not interfere!" **Naruto roared again and sent out a barrage of claws, too numerous to count. He grinned gleefully as the all closed in on Minato. **"Die!" **A deafening exploded filled the air as the claws all smashed into Minato.

"Stop this now!" Minato appeared in front of Naruto, his arm cocked back. "Before I ground you!" He slammed his palm into Naruto's forehead, boring through the chakra cloak easily.

The chakra instantly vanished when Minato made contact with his forehead.

"There, that should hold until I can examine him." Minato smooth out the seal he placed on Naruto's forehead. He gazed at his son's prone form, bitter tears forming in his eyes. He wiped them away before they could fall. "What a fool I've been. . . How could I have done this to my own son?"

A rustle behind him signaled his clones return. Out of the dozen, only five remained. One dragged Yuri's body forward. "Forgive us. He killed himself with a cyanide pill."

"It's fine," Minato said dully. "Take the body to be examined."

"Hai!"

Minato threw Naruto over his shoulder and did the same for Kakashi. "Let's go home."

XXX

Sakura paced outside Naruto's room. She was worried out of her mind. _Where are they? _She knew the Hokage went after him, so there shouldn't have been any reason to be worried. Still, she couldn't help it.

Even Hinata was worried, but didn't express it in such an obvious way. Instead, she sat by Naruto's door, staring blankly at the wall. _Naruto-kun. . . _

Minutes felt like hours as they waited as patiently as they could. Finally, as they were about to leave, a sound came from within his room.

"He's back!" Sakura shouted joyously, throwing out the door.

"N-Naruto-kun!" Hinata jumped to her feet and went in behind Sakura.

"Hold it," Minato whispered sternly. He stood in there way, blocking sight of Naruto. He held one finger to his lips. "If you're quiet, you can stay." With that said, he left silently.

They both exchanged confused looks, then went over to Naruto's bed.

XXX Minato shut the door behind him. _Who would have thought my past would come back to haunt me. . ._


End file.
